LEAD Latina/o Empowerment at De Anza

The LEAD Community

Latino Empowerment At De Anza (LEAD) is a learning community created by students, for students. It was founded in 2005 by a group of 12 students who wanted to create a student leadership development program that focused on the Latino community and culture as well as developing their leadership in the community.

Since then, LEAD has expanded and serves as a model for learning on the De Anza campus.

LEAD Basics: Academics, Community and Civic Engagement

Both a program and a club

What makes LEAD different from other organizations – on or off the De Anza campus? LEAD is both a program and a student club.

As a program, LEAD offers many classes in a variety of disciplines, and uses a unique style of learning to promote civic engagement and student success. In our classes, students work in small groups called familias throughout the quarter. Each familia has a mentor, who serves as the liaison between the teacher and student, and makes sure that each familia member has all the support they need to succeed. In their familias, students collaborate on projects, work together to support each other in their learning, and create a strong sense of community.

As a club, LEADextends this sense of connection and civic engagement to students who aren’t taking a class with us at the time, but who still want to be a part of the work that LEAD does on campus and in the community.